Accident Rate Higher for Drowsy Drivers | Seattle Car Accident Lawyer

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As a Seattle personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen many diverse factors lead to Washington auto accidents. I’ve found that one of the major causes of traffic accidents is fatigue. A recent compilation of data collected by Michigan State Police suggests that the risk for an auto accident increases by as much as 12 percent for fatigued drivers.

Researchers at Michigan State University and the Henry Ford Hospital of Sleep Disorders and Research Center worked with the police department to collect data for the study. The researchers randomly called Michigan residents in the Detroit area and asked them a series of questions about their personal health habits and sleeping patterns.

A third of the residents also participated in several laboratory tests, including an overnight sleep test and a multiple latency test (or daytime napping tests).

The results showed that drivers who were excessively fatigued had an accident rate of 59.4 percent, while alert drivers had only a 47.3 percent crash rate.

As the study suggests, it is very dangerous to be on the road in this condition. If you find yourself feeling sleepy at the wheel, please pull over immediately and switch drivers. If that’s not an option, you can help fight fatigue by doing the following:

• Drink the equivalent to two cups of coffee

• Turn on the radio

• Sing

• Turn on the air conditioning or roll down a window

• Pull over into a safe area (i.e. a rest stop) and take a 15-20 minute nap

We hope you find these suggestions helpful.

This information is provided by Straight Talk Law, where you can order free information on Seattle auto accidents, buying Washington car insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by King County personal injury attorney and author Jason Epstein and his Seattle auto accident, Everett motorcycle accident, and Bellevue wrongful death law firm in Seattle, Washington.